Microsoft has announced new features for its collaboration platform Teams that will make delivering a group presentation much less awkward.
As per an entry to the company’s product roadmap, meeting hosts will soon be able to pin the video feeds of multiple users to the screen at the same time.
Currently, Microsoft Teams lets users lock a specific participant’s feed into place by right-clicking on their tile and selecting Spotlight. Soon, however, organizers and presenters will be able to “spotlight up to seven participants simultaneously during meetings.”
- Here's our list of the best business webcams right now
- Working from home: the mouse, monitor, keyboard and router you need
- Check out our list of the best headsets for conference calls available
Microsoft has also dropped new information about an upcoming PowerPoint integration, which will allow users to “present slides directly from PowerPoint for the web to a Teams meeting via PowerPoint Live.”
Both new features are still under development, but are set to roll out in full by the end of next month.
Microsoft Teams presentations
Delivering a presentation can be nerve-wracking at the best of times, even without the added stress of managing the technology. With the upcoming Teams features, however, Microsoft is aiming to give presenters at least one less factor to worry about.
Although using video conferencing software for a solo presentation is relatively straightforward, adding co-presenters into the mix makes for a more disjointed affair, with the focus flitting between speakers.
Although the ability to spotlight multiple co-presenters doesn’t address the inevitable awkwardness of collaborating over video, it should help presentations feel a little more natural.
The option to present slides directly from PowerPoint, meanwhile, does away with any potential issues associated with screen-sharing, such as the opportunity for sensitive data to be exposed.
Presumably, the integration will also allow presenters with dual-screen set-ups to keep the Teams gallery view open, which will help them better read and engage with audience members.
- Here's our list of the best office desks and best office chairs
